Promises Are Made of This
by The Paragon
Summary: Once upon a time...a Slytherin Prince once swore to a Gryffindor Princess that he would never ever let anything hurt her. Now, to fulfill a noble vow promised so long ago, he had to hurt her himself.
1. The Cold Hard Lie

**_Author's Note: _ Hello, everyone! :) So this is officially my first "non-drabble" fanfiction and I'm REALLY EXCITED! :D Later, I'd love to know what you think...And if there are any tips you could give, that'd be bloody fantastic as well! Please do REVIEW at the end! Hope you enjoy it!**

**- The Paragon**

P.S. - I do not own Harry Potter, his friends, or his beautiful magical world *sniffles*

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><p>"<em><strong>His unkindness may defeat my life, But never taint my love…" – Othello, Act 4, Scene 2.<strong>_

She couldn't take it anymore.

"Say it!" she cried.

Hands still in his pockets, Draco cocked his head; his fair brows knitted in feigned confusion.

"What?"

"Say it! Tell me you don't feel it too! Tell me you don't love me!" said Hermione. "Tell me that after everything we've been through you still don't feel anything at all but disgust for my mere existence! Th-that I'm worthless because I'm n-nothing but a Mudblood and that I'm not worthy…not worthy of you! Tell me the truth! Do you feel **anything** for me?"

She was crying openly now, tears wrongfully staining her rosy cheeks.

Draco clenched his fists, trying hard to resist the compelling urge to walk up to her and wipe those tears away. She didn't deserve this.

He wanted to hug her tight and tell her that everything would be alright, that she was not worthless, that her lineage didn't matter to him anymore, that she was the best thing that ever happened to him, that right now nothing else mattered and she was the most important thing in the world to him!

Oh, how he wanted to say yes. So badly. He wanted to say it with all his heart. He wanted to confess that after all they had been through, he had indeed come to feel something for the girl in front of him. That he adored, wanted her…_needed_ her. That he would happily surrender his own life to protect her

But most of all, he wanted to tell her…

…that he loved her.

Sadly for Draco Malfoy, none of those were options.

No. Not in times like these.

A war was about to break out and he knew it.

Wars were grim, harsh, cruel, ruthless and unforgiving. Only the strong survive and triumph whilst the weak fall and wilt away in their misery – that was

the timeless game of war.

Draco was coming to find that life, on the other hand, is a whole different story. Sometimes even the strongest, bravest and most courageous of people, like Hermione Granger, are crushed and destroyed without warning and it wasn't fair. It was never fair. He was trying to protect her, yet in the process he knew he was killing her deep inside.

"SAY IT!" she screamed, her chest heaving with every breath she took. "Tell me I'm not worthy of you!"

_No, **I'm** not worthy of **you**, Draco thought sadly. I don't deserve you._

"Tell me you don't love me."

_I love you._

"I don't want you to leave…" she choked out.

_I don't want to leave you._

"I don't want you to run away, we can fix this. Whatever I've done to push you away, to make you hate me…please tell me"

_What? I could **never** hate you. Merlin, how could she even think that?_

"Malfoy, please…say something." Hermione pleaded.

She took a step towards him with one hand reaching out, wanting to touch him. To hold him. To be in his arms again. To feel safe again.

Draco remained motionless, hoping his cold facade would convince her to shut up and walk away. He saw her trying to close the distance between them and immediately stepped back. His gesture did not go unnoticed as Hermione reddened and looked down at her feet, clearly embarrassed at his rejection. Her thick lashes cast a shadow on her wet cheeks.

_Merlin, she's so beautiful. I'm gonna miss her. Even when all this is over, I could never forget her. She'll hate me, but at least she'll be safe._

She was a muggle-born and an important member of the Golden Trio - Saviour of the Wizarding World Harry Potter's second in command. He was well aware that if his prejudicial father, or any other Death Eater for that matter, ever found out that they were together, they would murder Hermione_. _Or worse_._

It'll be easier this way. Away from me, far from any chance of being discovered easily by other bloody Death Eaters. Safe from the Dark Lord. With no connection to his disciples. With no connection to me.

"Look at me, Granger." he ground out harshly.

Hermione looked up at him wearily, a flood of tears waiting to spill from the corners of her eyes.

The young Malfoy looked straight into Hermione's soft brown eyes with his piercing grey ones.

"I feel **nothing** for you. Nothing." He stressed on each syllable as he forced the damn words out.

She stared at him in disbelief, "You're lying."

"I'm not."

"You don't mean that", she said pitifully. She shook her head, as if trying to get rid of the absurd idea.

Hermione ached to know if she still had hope and if he still belonged to her.

Little did she know that he did.

He always would, he _always_ had.

She tried again and walked up to him. This time she placed a warm hand on his icy cheek and looked at him hard. For anything, any sign to help her know the truth. And that was exactly what Draco was afraid of. She knew him too well and he knew she wouldn't give up on him that easily. Hermione cupped his face with both hands and told him softly, "Now, you look at me…"

He obeyed.

"You belong with me…" she said. "As I belong with **you**…my one and only."

During that instant, they both knew that she could not have been any more right.

"I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. I love you, Draco. I know you still feel the same way. Don't do this. Please don't leave me."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, losing himself in the feeling of her touch, savouring every dear moment. And then she kissed him. It was passionate. Bruising. Perfect. He could taste her tears. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. All the hate, anger, cruelty and evil in the world were completely forgotten.

And for just that moment. That one brief moment. Nothing else mattered.

Just the two of them.

_Draco and Hermione._

_Granger and Malfoy._

The words replayed themselves in his head over and over like an old forgotten song.

_This is how it's supposed to be_, he thought bitterly._ Granger in his arms. His love, his…what had she called him? Her one and only. Yes…she was his as well. His one and only. It would have been perfect_._ If only they could stay together. Like this. Just this way…__**forever**__._

Alas, none of them had that luxury. He remembered what he had to do.

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><p><strong><em><span>Author's Note:<span>_ SO what do did think? :) Love it? Hate it? What do you think is gonna happen next? Do tell me. Please REVIEW! Thanks for taking the time to read this.**

**Until next time...**

**- The Paragon**


	2. The Pain of Resolve

**_Author's Note_: YAY! It's Chapter 2 :) **

**Please READ and REVIEW!**

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><p><strong>Previously...<strong>

_He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, losing himself in the feeling of her touch, savouring every dear moment. And then she kissed him. It was passionate. Bruising. Perfect. He could taste her tears. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. All the hate, anger, cruelty and evil in the world were completely forgotten._

_And for just that moment. That one brief moment. Nothing else mattered._

_Just the two of them._

_Draco and Hermione._

_Granger and Malfoy._

_The words replayed themselves in his head over and over like an old forgotten song._

_This is how it's supposed to be, he thought bitterly. Granger in his arms. His love, his…what had she called him? Her one and only. Yes…she was his as well. His one and only. It would have been perfect. If only they could stay together. Like this. Just this way…forever._

_Alas, none of them had that luxury. He remembered what he had to do._

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><p>He broke the kiss and jerked away from her, as if burned from her touch. "Is it really that hard for you to comprehend?" Draco sneered.<p>

"Funny, people think you're the brightest which of our age, but really, you're just a pathetic little wench who can't manage to accept that no one would ever want to spend their life with her. Let alone **feel** something for a filthy little Mudblood like you!"

_Lies._

Hermione winced and seemed to shrink with every word he spoke.

"Preposterous! To contaminate myself with your lowly excuse for a witch?" he laughed cruelly. "Tsk, tsk! I should've known you'd get the wrong idea."

"But Draco I thou - " she started, her voice cracking.

Draco cut her off, "I never liked you Granger, I've always wished you dead, but sadly we don't get everything we wish for, do we?"

Hermione stood open-mouthed in horror at his callous inquiry.

With a heavy heart, the Slytherin continued on his onslaught, "It's filth like you that shouldn't be allowed to walk the wizarding world at all. Your very existence is sickening!"

"Face it, Granger. It's over! Stop groveling, because you'll soon discover your lame attempts to be in vain. You meant nothing to me. You mean NOTHING to me. You were just a little play thing that I could toy with to keep myself amused! That is, of course, until I'd had enough of your incessant nonsensical rants about love and hope."

"Draco, stop." begged Hermione.

"LOOK," he shouted, his face scrunched up in frustration as he roughly shoved his black sleeve up his arm, exposing the evidence of his dire calling, the omen, the brand – the Dark Mark.

Beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead. "You see this?" he said, gesturing to the tattoo as if she were blind. "We can't be together!" he yelled, teeth tightly clenched in aggravation.

Gathering her composure, Hermione seemed to gain some of her resolve again as she looked him in the eye unflinchingly. "This," she said, clamping her hand over the Dark Mark and rubbing her fingers over it soothingly, as if the simple touch of her hand alone could make the tattoo and all its evil disappear. "This does not matter to me," she continued. "I know who you are, Draco Malfoy! You may be proud and arrogant and sometimes cruel but not heartless. You are not a murderer!"

_Not yet, _he thought.

"And you are most certainly not a Death Eater." she said calmly.

"Your opinion is of no consequence to me!" Draco scoffed at her. "Death Eater," he spat out, as if he had just tasted the foul words on his tongue. "It's what I was raised to be!" he said.

"But it's not who you are!" protested Hermione.

"It IS who I am!"

"But you're mine!"

"I WAS NEVER YOURS, GRANGER!" he roared in her face.

_More lies._

He moved before she had enough time to discover the truth. Grabbing her wrist with enough force to hurt her, he yanked her hand from his arm. Hermione yelped in pain.

"You're hurting me. Let go!" she gasped, but the young Malfoy refused to unclench his iron-hold on her wrist. Bruises were sure to form. Using his vice-like grip on her arm, he violently maneouvered her up against his body. Hermione's breath hitched in her throat at the close proximity.

Draco brought his face down closer to her. He looked fierce. Hermione watched as his pupils dilated. He looked absolutely insane.

He could smell her perfume – jasmine. It was utterly intoxicating. They were so close. Only an inch apart, if anyone walked by at that moment, they would've thought that he was leaning in for a kiss.

_I could be selfish and just kiss her senseless her right now and forget about this whole thing,_ he told himself. The temptation was just too strong. _But I do love her; I need her to be safe. I __**have**__ to keep her safe. I have to do this. For her._

He knew that he could very well do this. He was cunning, conniving, a good actor…a good liar.

"Pathetic clueless little know-it-all," he whispered tightly, his hot breath ghosted on her face. "Want to know how I really feel, do you?" he hissed. His silver eyes glinted menacingly in the moonlight. Hermione stood rooted to the spot with eyes wide in nervous anticipation. She was shivering; he doubted it was from the cold.

He smirked as he then proceeded to tell the biggest lie he had ever told in his life.

"I. Hate. You." he said very slowly.

Thunder rumbled and a flash of lightning electrified the pitch black night. It began to rain.

Each word tasted like venom and he watched as they viciously cut like daggers into the heart of the girl he loved.

She stared at him as if he had just stabbed her in the heart, but truthfully, that probably would have been less painful.

Hermione couldn't move. She was speechless. The rain poured down heavily and drenched her soft curls as she glared at him through tears, her lips parted in disbelief.

"Did you hear me, Mudblood?" he yelled. "I said I ha-" _SMACK!_

She slapped him right across the face. The movement was instantaneous - one last desperate attempt to hurt him back the way he was hurting her.

He lifted a hand to his face which was stinging from the contact of Hermione's palm. A red mark in the shape of her palm already forming on his pale skin.

With the moon as their only witness, they stared at each other in the pouring rain. Both breathing heavily.

Hermione stared at him accusingly with disappointed eyes. She looked sincerely hurt.

_She believes me,_ Draco thought sadly._ She looks so broken. What have I done? Walk away from me, Granger, walk away._

He never wanted to walk away from her. No, when he planned this from the start he wanted her to have the upper hand in this dastardly situation and walk away from _him_. Leave _him_. Hurt _him_. Not the other way around

Hermione's shoulders sagged in defeat. If he had not been standing next to her so closely, he would not have heard what she said next.

She whispered ever so quietly, "Please leave."

Draco remained unmoving.

_I love you,_ he said in his mind. _Please forgive me, you deserve better. _

"LEAVE ME!" She shrieked, pain evident in her brown eyes as fresh tears streamed forth.

_I love you, I love you, I love you._

Hermione fell to her knees, her head bent low. She covered her face with her hands and wept.

Life was funny. The blatant irony of it all…once upon a time, when things were easier and a war was still not a-brewing, a Slytherin Prince once swore to a Gryffindor Princess that he would _never_ ever let anything hurt her. Now, to fulfill a noble vow promised so long ago, he had to hurt her himself.

Hermione Granger was the most beautiful, most loving, most stubborn, smartest, bravest, kindest, funniest and strongest woman Draco Malfoy had ever known.

Right now, she was a broken little girl. Crushed and destroyed.

And he loved her. So much!

It killed him to see her in such unjustifiable pain, but he did what he had to.

"There's always a choice, no matter what." She used to say to him.

His chest suddenly felt heavy and constricted like there was no more oxygen, he couldn't breathe. If people could die from remorse, tonight surely would have been his funeral.

If Hermione had looked up for a second, she would've noticed that Draco was crying too. Tears for what had been, what could have been, and for what now, would never be…

Instead, she remained crumpled up on the hard stone floor of the tower crying her heart out.

Draco felt like he might die if he didn't bolt out of there fast. Standing in the rain, he ran a hand through his wet blond hair as he watched her longingly one last time.

Then he put his hands in his pockets, turned around and walked away from his first and only love.

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><p><strong><em>Author's Note:<em> Wow...writing that made me kind of depressed right there. But, I hope you liked it! :D Thanks for reading. DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**

**Hugs!**

**- The Paragon**


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